


What Happens Next

by o0citrusee0o



Series: Moving Forward [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amputation, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Fix-It, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Recovery, Sad Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-03-20 14:45:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18994714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o0citrusee0o/pseuds/o0citrusee0o
Summary: Peter's feeling a little stressed.According to everyone, he was part of the half of existence that turned to dust. He's been told five years have passed. Wait, how old does that technically make him? He just survived the biggest villain battle of his young life. Or is that technically just an alien invasion? He can't quite go home yet, not till---that is until---when Mr. Stark---he just can't go home yet. Does he and May even have a home since they were both dusted?Ok, maybe he's feeling more then 'a little' stressed.But hey, maybe Morgan can keep him distracted enough to help drown out his anxious thoughts. Or at least help him figure out what's happened with the Avengers. Like why is Dr. Banner buff and green now?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First time publicly posting my writing....sorry, not sorry...

Tony Stark raises his right hand, the metal shine of the suit gauntlet overpowered by the shine of six stones the nanites dragged up it. Setting into place his whole arm lights up with lines, like a rainbow of death squeezing the life from him.  


“I….am….Iron man”  


With a snap dust begins to appear as alien warriors begin to puff away. Peter’s head swivels around quickly, watching as the aliens near him turn into dusty ashes instantly. Was this what happened to him? He shudders and tries not to imagine.  


“Tony!” The cry from the War Machine suit nearby draws Peter’s attention and horror grips the teen's stomach painfully as he watches his mentor lean over and slump against wreckage.  


_:No, no, no:_  


Peter’s mind chants as he runs and leaps over rubble.  


_:Not him, not another, not again:_  


Shooting webs, he pulls himself with all his strength to reach the man faster.  


_:Please, please, please no:_  


Peter stumbles to a shaky stop as he drops beside Mr. Stark’s body.  


_:Dr. Strange said five years. Five years I’ve been gone. Don’t leave me Mr. Stark, we have five years to catch up on:_  


So many hearts racing around him, his sensitive ears searching for the most important heartbeat. Reaching out with shaking fingers, Peter touches Mr. Stark’s shoulder. The man slumps lifelessly to the side.  
_________________  
“Peter. Peter. Peter!”

Peter’s head snaps upward so fast his neck burns and his body going off balance in the chair he sits in, causing it to shake noisily under him. Glancing around and blinking the sleep from his eyes, Peter finds himself in a clean medical room rather than a dusty battlefield. 

A hospital. They’d brought Mr. Stark to a hospital after he used the stones. With his confusion reducing he turns to Mr. Stark’s wife who waits for the boy to adjust from suddenly waking up. 

“Peter sweetie, why don’t you go upstairs to get some food and sleep in a bed.” 

Anyone else asking this of him would have Peter saying ‘no’, but it was Pepper Potts asking him to….or is it Pepper Stark now? Peter realizes he hasn’t gotten around to clarifying that in the six days they’ve been crossing paths here in Mr. Starks medical room. 

“Ah, yeah, ok,” Peter cleared his throat and stood. “I’ll be back in a little bit Mr. Stark. Don’t do anything crazy till I get back.”

The sound of a heart monitor and the machines helping Tony stay alive are the only response he gets as Peter slowly leaves the room. Pepper takes up Peter’s empty seat, talking quietly to her comatose husband tucked under the white sheets as the teen exits. 

Coma. The fancy Wakanda doctors are shocked Mr. Stark is even alive, but Peter is glad. He knows its selfish to be glad. Mr. Stark could be suffering inside his still body. But he couldn’t accept it. He had lost his parents. He had lost Ben. Losing them doesn’t make the idea of losing Mr. Stark any easier. 

So he’s glad Mr. Stark is still alive in a sense. Selfishly glad.

Aside from the coma the infinity stones took a toll elsewhere on the genius’ body. Tony’s right arm is a charred, mangled mess. The doctors have wrapped it so that Peter and anyone who visits the room don’t have to see it. Thanks to his super hearing though Peter knows tomorrow they’ll be removing it. He overheard the doctors saying that the damage was to severe, that the stones shot so much energy into the appendage that what isn’t dead already is slowly dying each day. Even the fancy doctor lady Ms. Cho said she can’t do anything about it. Its like the stones themselves have made it impossible for any type of science to heal it. Thankfully the marks on the right side of his face are still just marks. According to his eavesdropping the doctors say it will all scar over but the tissue isn’t dying like his arm. The doctors worry about Mr. Stark’s eye since one jagged black line creeps to close to it. They’ve already determined his right ear probably has lost some or all its capabilities.

Mr. Stark is in a coma, about to lose his arm, lost hearing in one ear, may have damaged sight yet Peter is glad he is alive. He is selfishly glad.

Mr. Stark’s IVs are laced with nutrients and medication. Some meds for the pain, some for healing, and some for his heart. His heart is worse the doctors told Pepper. Which his super hearing caught onto too. Not bad enough to end his life, but bad enough that Iron man won’t be flying through the skies anymore with Tony Stark inside.

He’s in a coma, his body is damaged, he can’t be Ironman anymore, yet Peter is glad he is alive. This long list of problems that will probably break Tony emotionally, yet Peter is selfishly glad he is alive.

Tony? When did Peter suddenly decide he was Tony? He was Mr. Stark before the—just before, why does it change now? Maybe it was that hug on the battle field, they’re there after all. But where is ‘there’?

“Peter dear, are you alright?”

Peter’s whirlwind of thoughts slow down. Looking around Peter realizes he has made it to the guest apartments without even noticing. His aunt stands watching him carefully from the small living room area. 

“How about some food Peter?” 

He nods and she walks into the kitchen off to the right, slicing some Wakanda fruit as well as fruit he is familiar with. Peter goes and flops onto the couch, his thoughts beginning to pick up speed again in the silence. The teen felt the beginnings of another headache coming on. Another one of many since the battle.  


That battle. It was crazy. But it’s the stuff that comes after the battle that is crazier for Peter to process.

Dr. Strange and his yellow circle making buddies took many people back to their homes after the battle, but not the injured. With the compound destroyed the next most advanced location was Wakanda for aid. Peter should be interested in looking around, fanboying over the advanced tech, chasing down the king’s sister Princess Shuri to talk to, exploring the city and surrounding forests. But he can’t find the energy to do anything then walk from the medical room Tony is in, to the guest apartment he is staying in. A path he’s walked so much that he now can do it without thinking. 

“Here you go sweetie,” May puts the plate on a towel in Peter’s lap.

The teen slowly begins the process of eating. He should be enjoying this food but its all tasteless mounds in his mouth. 

“Peter how about you sleep up here with me tonight? Let Pepper or Happy have a turn with Mr. Stark overnight?”  
Peter had been spending the nights in Tony’s room along with several hours during the day when Pepper was busy dealing with Stark Industries stuff, guess everything was a mess when people disappeared and now it’s a mess with everyone reappearing again, and Happy was off watching the little girl.  


“Maybe,” Peter mumbled around a piece of pear.  


Doctor Strange had brought some of the families to Wakanda of the people who had been injured. This included his aunt, Happy, and little girl Peter’s never seen before that moment. Then Doctor Strange ran off with Wong to do magic stuff. Happy had actually cried when he saw Peter and May. May was dusted too. Peter didn’t cry. To him he saw his aunt just the other day. Happy had given him a ride last week.  


But that wasn’t true. Five years have passed. And in those five years Tony had his own kid. Morgan. Peter remembered her name is Morgan. Will Tony still mentor him now that he has a family? Will he even talk to him? Will he be to busy being a dad?  


“Peter dear,” May cut into his thoughts, “can you talk to me baby?”  


“Just processing. Lots to process,” he mutters into the fruit bowl.  


“I know sweetie, I know,” she sighs and rubs his shoulder. Reaching for the TV remote she pops it on to fill the silence.  


Almost every channel in the world was still covering the news of the returning people. Everyone popping up in the exact spots they vanished from. The fact its been five years really sunk in when channels would post photos from common populated areas that were abandoned like some apocalypse movie scene that were now coming to life with people. When reporters who he knew came onto the camera with more gray hairs, change of weight, and new wrinkles. When world leaders would take up the podiums in their designated locations looking haggard and worn from stress.  


“Hey May, hey kid.”  


Speaking of aged, Happy wanders into Peter’s line of sight reminding Peter again that five years have passed. Five years that have peppered Happy’s hair with bits of gray and added some more worry lines to his face.  


“Harold,” May got up and greeted him, “So good to see you today. Where did you leave your little charge?”  


Perhaps Peter should pay more attention but his eyes remain forward on the screen.  


“Pepper took her to have lunch with the royal family.”  


_: They left Tony alone?!_  


Peter quickly stands up, “I’m going to stay with Mr. Stark,” he mutters as he puts his bowl on the coffee table.  


May’s eyes pinch and she gives a look at Happy, “I’m sure Harold would be alright to sit with Mr. Stark so you can finish eating and take a nap.”  


“I’m fine, besides dinner will be soon anyway,” Peter tried to sound cheerful. Did it come out that way? He can’t tell.  


Peter retreats quickly around the corner to the apartment door, opening it but pausing when his super hearing catches a sad sigh from behind.  


“He isn’t doing good, is he?” Happy’s voice was a quiet whisper that normal ears wouldn’t hear this far away but Peter didn’t have normal hearing and no one seems to know or remember this fact.  


“Not really Harold. He is going through the motions of the day: eating, sleeping, bathing, simple conversations. But he isn’t really talking, he isn’t really engaging. I keep trying to encourage him like the Wakanda therapist said but he’s just, well, stuck.”  


“Will he talk to the therapist?”  


“I asked him, but he said he’d do it after Tony gets better.”  


Happy sighs, “who knows when and if that will happen.”  


Peter’s hand squeezes the doorknob tighter; Tony Stark will get better. He refuses to believe otherwise.  


“The therapist is concerned. Peter lost so much. His parents. Ben. Now Tony. She gave me signs to watch for and keeps giving me advice but I’m worried. I should have put him into therapy after his parents died. The community center councilor did their best but perhaps if we had taken out a loan and done a professional therapist, maybe he would have better coping skills for when the incident happened when he was ten, then Ben, and now Tony.”  


"You know Pepper, myself, or anyone else who knows him are more then willing to help you get a therapist for him." 

"Normally I'd say 'we don't need anyone's charity' but right now" she sighs, not finishing her sentence. 

A silence falls over the pair for a few seconds and Peter steps out the door, readying to leave silently but the next statement has him pause. 

"How long are you two staying here?" 

"I've been using the Wakanda communications to talk to my work and the apartment complex back in New York. I have to complete a mandatory training next weekend for re-orientation at work. We aren't going to get the exact same apartment back but I have gotten us a different one in the same building, thanks to you and the Starks we still have our stuff too." 

"I think deep down Tony had a small hope that things could be fixed. Maybe that's why he hung onto your stuff." 

"I hope it's that reason Harold and not because he felt guilty." 

"What about Peter?" 

"I'm going to be talking to the Wakanda doctor tomorrow on how I'm going to approach Peter and what I need to say. I know he's struggling and leaving Tony is going to be next to impossible. But Peter needs to go back to school. He needs to connect up with his friends in person, not just over the internet. But he's going to want to stay here forever if Tony is going to be here." 

Peter quietly closes the door. He doesn’t want to hear anymore about therapy, coping, and them speaking like Tony won’t wake up.  


He’ll wake up, Peter knew it even if everyone else doubts it.  


Several hallways, an awkwardly silent elevator ride with some tough looking bald ladies, and a flight of stairs with cool holographic looking walls later Peter got a few looks from the medical staff as he went to enter Tony’s recovery room.  


Inside nothing has changed since he left …Peter checks the clock on the wall, forty-five minutes ago. He has been gone forty-five minutes and nothing has changed. Machines still going, a chair by the bed waiting for him, Tony still looking like he is asleep. What causes Peter to pause in the doorway is a little dark-haired child sitting on the foot of the bed beside Tony’s feet. She had crayons between Tony’s feet and a stack of paper laying on his knees, her little face contorted with concentration as she worked on the paper in her lap.  


Morgan Stark.  


The little girl was rather busy and didn’t seem to notice the teen. Peter was about to back out when it hit him that Happy was in his room and Pepper wasn’t sitting here: so who’s watching her?  


Morgan realizes she isn’t alone. Looking up she gives a shy smile.  


“Hi”  


“Hi Morgan,” Peter responds as he slowly enters the room. “Who are you here with?”  


She pointed her red crayon at Tony, “I’m here with daddy.”  


“Where’s your mom?” Peter comes up beside the bed. The pictures Morgan is making has a little person in a tent and a big dark haired person under a tree. 

Probably her and Tony.  


“She’s with the king,” Morgan continued coloring a figure red in her picture.  


“Should I go get your mom or Happy?”  


The little girl made a face, “I’m not a baby. I’m four and I can be with daddy if I want.”  


Peter gave a light chuckle. She’s definitely Tony and Pepper’s kid.  


“Wanna color with me?” She held out paper and a fist of crayons.  


Peter walked around the bed, pulling up the chair and the discarded magazine on it beside Morgan. Taking the items from her and placing them in his lap, Peter realized he doesn’t know what to draw.  


“What’s your name?” Morgan asks as she colors.  


Peter begins coloring grass on his picture, “Peter. Peter Parker”  


Morgan hums, “daddy didn’t like talking about you. He had your picture on the special shelf. The shelf with grandma and grandpa on it. I’m not allowed to touch the special shelf. I asked him your name and he didn’t tell me. He said you were gone and he was really sad.”  


“Yeah I was gone. I didn’t know I was gone. But I was gone.”  


“Are you daddy’s friend?”  


Peter pauses in coloring a tree. How does a person explain superhero mentor to a little kid?  


“He ah, he helped take care of me. He made stuff to keep me safe and would give me advice.”  


Morgan appears satisfied with the answer for she keeps coloring.  


They color quietly for a few moments before Morgan talks again.  


“I’m drawing happy pictures for daddy. I’m going to hang them up. When he wakes up he will see all the happy pictures and want to stay awake forever.”  


Peter begins to add an Ironman to his picture, “that’s a good idea Morgan. I would like him to stay awake too.”  


“Sometimes I see his eyes open but everyone says that he isn’t really awake, its just his eyes being silly. I wish he would wake up; I miss him and I feel sad.”  


Peter nods. He thought the same thing and was just as upset when he learned it was a reflex of comatose people.  


“Peter will you be sad if daddy doesn’t wake up?”  


Peter pauses in coloring gray buildings around his Ironman, “yeah. I’ll be really sad.”  


“My mommy hugs me and tells me stories when I’m sad about daddy sleeping. Does your mommy do that?”  


Peter feels a lump in his throat starting form, “I, ah, I don’t have a mommy. Not anymore.”  


“Where is your mommy?”  


Peter focuses on coloring his sun, “she died when I was little like you.”  


“Does your daddy give you hugs then?”  


Peter clears his throat yet again, “no, my daddy died with my mommy. They’ve been gone a long time.”  


“Who is that lady with you then?”  


Peter looks up at the little girl. She is confused, as if her little mind couldn’t quite grasp that Peter didn’t have someone to hug.  


“She’s my aunt. Sometimes she gives me hugs when I’m sad,” Peter hopes this will satisfy Morgan into not asking more questions about his dead family members.  


“Oh I have an aunt too! Aunt Natasha! I also have Uncle Happy and Uncle Rhodey! Do you have an uncle too?”  


Peter tries to hide his cringe from the little girl. _She's an innocent child who is curious, she isn't trying to hurt him by bringing all this up,_ he had to remind himself.  


“My uncle got hurt a long time ago and is gone now.”  


The little girl bites her lip as she stares at him with eyes scrunched up from thoughts.  


“So,” she begins, “you don’t have a mommy or a daddy or an uncle?”  


“Ah no,” Peter looks away, trying to blink back tears as he colors a blue sky.  


Peter manages to finish coloring his blue sky by time Morgan speaks to him again.  


“I’ll share with you Peter.”  


Looking up, Peter shows her his picture, “I don’t need more crayons Morgan, I finished. Thanks for offering to share the crayons though.”  


“Not the crayons silly,” Morgan giggles, “My mommy and daddy and Uncle Happy. Since you don’t have any, I will share mine with you. But-“  


The little girl stands up on the bed and fixes Peter with the most serious glare she can muster for a cute four-year-old.  


“But you have to promise to be my big brother forever. If you say yes, then I’ll share them with you.”  


Peter Parker sat there completely stunned. This four-year-old child who instead of freaking out and telling the strange boy to go away and leave her precious family alone, is offering to share her family. She didn’t even know him! Yet here she stands, waiting for him to respond to her offer. So innocent and sweet, even the kids back in Queens he had met weren’t this generous at such a young age.  


Someone this kind and innocent needs protecting.  


_:Tony, I’ll take care of Morgan till you get back. I won’t let any dark stuff get her. She’ll be as innocent and sweet when you wake up just like she was when you fell asleep:_  


Peter stands up and looks Morgan in the eyes, “yes Morgan. I’d love to be your brother.”  


“Then why are you crying?” she demands with hands on her hips, something Peter has seen Pepper do recently in person.  


Peter touches his face; its wet with tears he didn’t know he was crying.  


“Happy tears Morgan,” he gives a small smile.  


“Oh ok then,” she sits back down and takes Peter’s picture, changing the conversation topic quickly like any child, “we only have your picture and my pictures.” 

She counts them, “that’s four pictures.”  


Morgan looks at the wall facing Tony’s bed, “that’s a big wall.”  


“yes it is,” Peter agrees, wondering what the kid is planning.  


“We need more pictures. Let’s visit daddy’s friends before they leave to get more pictures!”  


Peter moves quickly to catch Morgan as she jumps off the bed. He hadn’t a clue if she knew he would catch her, but he was quite glad for his spider reflexes.  


“Get the crayons and paper Peter, we need to get more happy pictures!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I feel that Tony would have been so full of guilt over what happened with Peter that he would get emotional if he talked about Peter. I feel that Tony would have referred to Peter as 'the kid' most of the time, to emotionally distance himself after the snap in order to move on.
> 
>  
> 
> Also: If Tony can be alive in the comics, he can be alive in the MCU


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First stop: the fate of Captain, Falcon, and Bucky

“We’re almost there!” Morgan hops a little between each step, occasionally tugging on Peter’s arm in the process as he held her hand. Something the super strong teen didn’t mind.  


In fact, he felt a tug of a tiny smile when he pulls a little causing the highest pitch squeal from Morgan as she went higher.  


“Just up this way,” she proclaims as she tugs harder on Peter’s hand.  


Taking the hint, the teen lifts her a little higher as she hops, childish giggles filling the air around them.  


“So Morgan,” Peter glances around them again at the window filled halls, “where are we going?”  


“The talking corner!” She says as if this knowledge was something Peter had.  


“Talking corner?”  


“Yeah, the corner people sit in to have serious talks.”  


Welp, that didn’t clear up much for the teenager.  


“Me and mommy went on a walk and found daddy’s friends in the talking corner,” Morgan added.  


Peter was not going to argue mathematical probabilities with a four-year-old over if people will be in the same place more than once in a short period of time, so he just lets Morgan tug him along.  


Turning down yet another gray hallway filled with ornate decorations, Peter pauses his walk to blink a few times in shock.  


Somehow Morgan Stark had the opposite of the Parker luck, where Peter’s luck is negative hers was surprisingly good. Sitting in a small window alcove on ornate chairs and food on a small table was Captain America, the Winter Solider, and the Falcon. The three didn’t seem to notice Peter or Morgan’s arrival as their conversation didn’t become filtered or changed based on their arrival.  


“It was so hard,” Captain Rogers sighs. “Not once but twice I stood there. A glass between us. I could have stayed, could have lived in my own little pocket universe with her.”  


“Why didn’t you?” The Winter Solider asks, “you deserve some happiness after everything.”  


“It didn’t feel right. Some little voice nagged at the back of my head. She moved on and had a family in our universe, what if I take that from her in that universe? How can I sit at home sipping tea when I know that Bucky in that universe is being tortured somewhere? Not to mention she’s a founding S.H.E.I.L.D member even in that timeline, how can I settle down with her and not get involved? Heck, any version of Peggy would chew me out for putting my desires over the greater good. And when I handed back that Soul Stone, I realized there will always be a need for Captain America-”  


“Mr. ‘mamerica!”  


Morgan cut the serious conversation that Peter didn’t quite understand off with a squeal.  


The four-year-old launched herself from Peter’s side, dashing to the grown adults while waving at them.  


“Mr. ‘mamerica, you need to make a picture! Peter give him paper!” the girl demanded.  


“Slow down doll,” the Winter solider chuckled, “why does Stevie need paper?”  


Morgan sighed with the most dramatic put out sound Peter had ever heard, “it’s for daddy.”  


Peter cleared his throat, patting Morgan on the head, “What Morgan is trying to get at is that we’re getting drawings from Mr. Stark’s friends to hang in his room so when he wakes up, well you, its…” Peter struggled to talk around the painful lump in his throat.  


“I got it son, we’d be happy to make pictures,” Captain’s smile was understanding yet sad at the same time.  


“Give them some paper and colors! And Peter you don’t get to make another picture cuz you didn’t say it right.”  


“Say what right?” The teen looked the little girl with her hands on her hips, absently handing paper to the Captain.  


“You called Daddy Mr. Stark, now that you’re my brother you have to call him daddy too!” stomping her foot, she huffed and handing coloring pencils to the three men while settling on the floor with her own paper.  


The Falcon chuckled as he grabbed a food tray to be his makeshift table, “Stark’s going to have his hands full when she gets old.”  


“Nothing wrong with a strong woman,” Captain smiled at the child as she scribbled onto her paper, no longer participating in the conversation.  


Peter watched as all three grown adults bent over food trays, books, and paper to create works of art for a man that they were fighting mere months ago.  


Wait.  


That’s wrong.  


Its been five years. In five years, that argument must’ve ended.  


Peter added another mental not to his list of things he missed in five years.  


“Hey kid,” the Winter Solider beckoned to the teen, “take a seat. This will take a bit of time.”  


“Yes sir,” Peter replied while finding a perch on a stool.  


“I’m sure she won’t mind,” the Falcon added while handing a paper to peter.  


“Thank you, sir,” the teen meekly replied.  


“Sam.”  


“What?”  


“Call me Sam,” the Falcon chuckled, “sir sounds funny coming from a kid.”  


“Not a kid,” Peter muttered while stealing a green pencil from in front of Sam faster than the normal human could process.  


The Winter solider chuckled, “you’re right, you’re a man now that you’ve been to war and back. What should we call you?”  


“Peter. My name is Peter.”  


“Well Peter, call me Bucky.”  


Peter nods, “ok,” before glancing from the two adults and back to his drawing of an airport.  


The silence between everyone was filled with only the sounds of colored pencils and markers on paper. At first it was fine but after several minutes Peter felt the pressure in his gut build and the need to talk about something, anything was growing. He had never been good at sitting quietly for long.  


Peter sees his picture taking form of the airport fight in Germany. He realizes he hasn’t apologized for that yet.  


Peter clears his throat, “so ah Mr. Captain America, sorry about Germany. I mean stealing your shield. And webbing Sam and Bucky up. And throwing stuff at you guys. And-“  


His rambling was cut short with a chuckle, “its ok Queens. Call me Steve.” Peter nodded in agreement to the request. “And its not a big deal, we all made a bit of a mess that day.”  


Peter nods and glances down, “It was a little crazy that day. But it was a great day.”  


“How was it a great day,” Sam snorts, “I dropped you out a window, Steve dropped a bridge on you, and Antman slapped you silly.”  


Peter finds himself glaring at the man, “Well I did web you two up, catch Bucky’s punch, steal captain’s shield, come up with the plan to take out Antman.”  


Bucky laughed, “oh Peter isn’t taking you crap Sam. Smart boy.”  


“Shut it frosty,” Sam snapped.  


Peter felt a small twinge at his mouth corners of a smirk. “But it was still the best. Mr. St-“ Morgan glared over her picture at Peter, “I mean dad gave me a suit and took me to meet a bunch of amazing people. Sure we got a little beat up but it was worth it. After that Dad helped me out more and yeah we had some bumps in the road but I think we got close from it all.”  


“Question:” Sam cut in, “Is Stark really your dad?”  


“Peter doesn’t have a daddy or mommy or uncle so I said he can share mine if he agrees to be my brother!” Morgan exclaims while pointing a pink marker up in the air.  


“That’s a pretty smart idea,” Steve smiled at the little girl.  


“I know,” Morgan grins, “cuz I’m super smart. That’s what mommy and daddy say.”  


“And they’re right,” Peter smirks again while petting Morgan’s head from his stool, “you’re the smartest ever.”  


Morgan went back to coloring with the biggest grin on her face.  


The coloring went on for a few more minutes in silence before Peter had to talk again to get rid of the silence. He couldn’t give his brain time to start thinking again.  


“Ah Mr. Steve, what do you plan to do next?”  


Peter watches as the man looks at him intently and Peter realizes he may have asked to personal a question. He quickly backtracks.  


“I mean you don’t have to tell me. I shouldn’t have asked that, its personal. I mean-“  


“And I’m not sure. During these years I’ve been just hanging in there. Helping as a hero and helping as myself. Lots of people needed help. But I don’t know. Honestly I’m kinda tired.” The grown man chuckles to himself as he continues working on his drawing, not looking at the three sets of eyes watching him.  


“Then take a break!” Morgan cut in.  


The little girl was thought to have been to busy with her art to pay attention, but all eyes shifted in surprise as the little girl glanced up.  


“Mr. Steve,” Morgan continues, “if you’re tired, its ok to take a break. Mommy and Daddy say taking a break is ok and its good for me. Sometimes when I’m swimming in the lake I get really tired. Mommy and Daddy let me take a break by swimming for me until I’m ready again.” The child motions with her hands of swimming and then supporting her torso. “It’s ok to let someone help you when you need a break. Mr. Steve.”  


“Your mommy and daddy are really smart people Morgan,” the captain smiles.  


“Yes they are! And I’m done!” she lifts a picture of rainbows and stars with an iron man flying over it all.  


“Very nice,” Steve agrees and holds up his own, “mines done too.”  


“Oh wow!” the little girl exclaimed at the life like portrait of himself and Tony laughing together.  


“You should teach class,” Peter replies as he leans towards the art.  


“Oh come on, ours are good too,” Sam jumps in, holding up his own picture of Iron man and Falcon flying together over a city.  


“That’s good to Mr. Sam,” Morgan collects the two pictures. “What about you Mr. Bucky?”  


Bucky shrugs, “its not as good but-“he holds up a picture that reminded Peter of Morgan’s art style. In it Bucky is giving flowers to Iron man with an ‘I’m sorry’ written on it.  


“Its good to Mr. Bucky.” Morgan takes the picture. Peter realizes she can’t read so she doesn’t have the burning questions he has about why its an apology picture. “My daddy will like them all cuz he likes anything I give him and my picture isn’t that good.”  


“I think that is because you’re his kid,” Sam mutters but Bucky elbows him.  


“Mr. Steve,” Morgan continues, not hearing the man, “Do you know where daddy’s other friends are?”  


Steve nods, “I think Thor is just outside. I think he’s getting ready to head out soon so you two better scamper off quickly to get to him before he goes.”  


Morgan gasps, “Oh no! Petey we need to hurry,” she shoves markers and pencils at the teen who struggles to grab everything.  


“Um, yeah, ah,” Peter fumbled with finding a way to say what was on his mind as Morgan dashes off shouting for Peter to hurry.  


“Later kid,” Sam chuckles.  


“We’ll see you around,” Bucky gives a small smile.  


Peter glances at Steve, before the super solider speaks Peter cuts him off, “Morgan’s right Mr. Steve. I don’t know what has happened in the last five years but I’m sure it hasn’t been easy. You should think about taking a break, relax, maybe find a hobby or something. I’m sure those of us who just got back can take care of things while you take some time to yourself.”  


The teen stands up and with a nod at the older man, “if you’re ever near Queens,” he shrugs. He wanted to say ‘look me up’ but doesn’t. It’d be weird, right?  


“I’ll look you up son,” Steve finishes.  


“Peter! Hurry!” Morgan practically screams at him.  


Peter turns and with a nod at the waving men, follows Morgan with his arms full.  


Peter goes to turn the corner of the hallway away from the alcove but pauses a step as he glances back to see the heroes one more time.  


Only he sees Steve holding his shield.  


“The kids are right; I should take a break.”  


The blonde holds his shield out towards Sam. Sam reaches toward the shield with a nod from Bucky.  


“Peter! Hurry!” Morgan squeals and the teen rushes after her down another hallway towards large double doors to the building exterior.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thoughts at the end of this chapter about the Asgard brothers

“Look Peter! Its yellow Santa! He’s daddy’s friend too!” 

 

For the first time in young Peter Parker’s life, the talkative boy who was always saying something or thinking a mile a minute found himself unable to form a simple sentence or even a complete thought at the sight of the great and powerful thunder god. 

 

Well he assumed it was Thor. The battle with Thanos was quite hectic and Peter vaguely remembered the man having longer hair and beard.

 

But he definitely did not notice the larger middle and the overall unkempt look to the man until now. Or maybe it was the sweater and sweatpants combo making him look more like the uncle who never moved out of his parent’s basement in a weeknight sitcom. 

 

If the girls back home saw this version of Thor, well there’d be less body image issues among the guys.

 

“Yellow Santa! Yellow Santa!”

 

“Morgan! Shhh!” Peter grabs the little wiggling worm under the arms, lifting her off the ground to whisper in her ear. “His name is Thor.”

 

“I know,” Morgan whined, “Uncle Thor visits sometimes. He lets me call him Yellow Santa cuz one time he went asleep in daddy’s chair and daddy put on a red blanket to keep him warm. He looked like Santa then.”

 

The god of thunder must’ve heard them, turning around he rested on his giant ax, watching the pair with a smile.

 

“Its my favorite little Lady!” Thor called out as Morgan broke free from Peter, jumping from his arms to run off towards the large fuzzy man. 

 

The teen still not sure how to procced, was frozen watching Morgan dash to the mighty man to jump up and down in front of him excitedly. Finding his footing, Peter slowly approached as Morgan waved at the teen to hurry up.

 

“Where are you going?” The child asks as Peter comes closer.

 

“Well you see that ship over there,” Thor pointed over to a flat concrete landing space where a large and oddly shaped ship sits. “I’m going to get a ride from my friends to my home in New Asgard. Once I get there I’m going to speak to my friends and get my things.”

 

“Then what?” Morgan demanded with an excited expression

 

“Then my new friends and I are going to go on an adventure in space.”

 

“Wow,” Morgan squealed, “Peter did you hear? Thor is going to space for an adventure!”

 

“Yeah Morgan,” Peter felt a small smile tug at his mouth watching the child’s excitement, “did you know I went to space too?”

 

“Yeah!” Morgan nods vigorously, “daddy said you went with him to help save people in a flying donut ship.” 

 

Peter’s thoughts stuttered to a stop. Images of an orange landscape starts seeping into his view of the world around him. 

 

“Peter,” the orange world suddenly shifts back to green at the tug of his pant leg, “Peter I need the paper now.” 

 

“Ah yeah, yeah here you go.”

 

Morgan grabs several pieces, presenting some to Thor. The man pulls his hair back as he bends and takes some pieces.

 

“What am I to do with these, child?”

 

“Me and Peter are getting daddy’s friends to make happy pictures. We are going to put them in daddy’s room so he can see happy stuff when he wakes up and maybe he’ll stay awake if he sees all the happy pictures. Will you make a happy picture?”

 

“Of course! I would be honored to make Stark a picture inspiring thoughts of joy.”

 

The man plops down onto the grass, setting his ax behind him away from Morgan. Peter sits as well as Morgan starts laying out crayons and markers in the grass. 

 

“So,” Thor breaks the monotonous sounds of nature, “child of spiders, I did not get to congratulate you on your skills on the battlefield.”

 

“Ah yeah, its Spiderman, and—a thanks. You were great yourself,” Peter internally groaned. Of course, he was great, he’s a god.

 

“Thor,” Morgan cut in, “what kind of adventure are you going on with your friends?”

 

Peter internally thanked the high powers for Morgan.

 

“Well we haven’t decided yet but I’m sure it will be a grand adventure worthy of drinks when I return to tell about it,” he grinned at the little girl before returning to his picture.

 

“My daddy won’t let me go on any adventures. He says I’m too little to go alone.” She glances at Peter, “Peter! You’re my big brother so you can take me on adventures! I won’t be alone then!”

 

Peter smiles and pats her head, “I would love to go on an adventure with you Morgan.”

 

The little girl fixes Peter with a big smile that fills the teen with a warmth he hasn’t felt since before getting on the alien ship so long ago.

 

“My little brother and I went on many grand adventures together,” Thor grabbed the pair’s attention, “nothing is more exciting then sharing the glory of battle with your sibling.”

 

“Where’s your brother Thor?” Morgan looks around as if he’d see the dark-haired god Peter’s only seen photos of. The teen fought the urge to look too. 

 

“Ah,” Thor’s smile shifting, “he-ah-he is no longer around.”

 

“Did he go on an adventure without you,” Morgan asked unaware of the sudden shift of the atmosphere, “that isn’t very nice.”

 

“Thanos took my brother away,” Thor supplied

 

“Oh,” the little girl replied. Peter wondered why Thor was sad, didn’t everyone Thanos dusted come back?

 

“Well are you going to go get him? Everyone the bad guy sent away is back now. See Peter is back,” Morgan thankfully had the same thoughts as Peter. 

 

“He did not turn to dust child; I fear he is lost to me” Thor spoke softly and Peter saw the shine in the man’s eyes was not the sun but unshed tears. “so, he won’t be coming back.” 

 

Peter then understood. Loki had died before the dusting. Loki was dead-dead. Looking down he saw Morgan’s frown and realized the kid had no idea that is what 

Thor was trying to say. Peter wondered if she even understood the concept of death.

 

“Did you check?” Morgan asks, “because mommy says if I lost something, I need to double check if it is really lost forever. Sometimes I have to check three times! Daddy loses stuff and mommy makes him check four or five times because sometimes he puts stuff in silly places.” 

 

“I fear that may not be the case,” Thor sighs at Morgan before focusing on his art.

 

Peter’s curiosity is now eating away at the teen and he cannot stop his mouth, “but you two are gods. So, you don’t stay dead do you? I mean legends here on earth that gods don’t stay dead. Also, this is Loki, the god of mischief, didn’t he like fake his death a bunch of times?”

 

Thor looks up and fixes Peter with a curious gaze, “legends say that?”

 

“Yeah. I mean even in movies and video games and books and stuff gods don’t usually stay dead cuz, well, their gods. Besides if Loki faked his death a bunch of times I would definitely double or triple check before calling it.”

 

“I-I did not double check as you said,” Thor spoke slowly as his mind began to create ideas.

 

“See,” Morgan points her pink crayon at Thor, “you have to double check. Uncle Bruce brought everyone back! I heard the big people saying that! He would have brought your brother back because Uncle Bruce likes you and you’re friends. He wouldn’t want you sad. And my daddy helped too! And he wouldn’t want you sad so daddy would have given you your brother back too! You need to go check and see Thor!” 

 

“On Asgard we say, ‘out of the mouths of babes comes wisdom’ and you two now show me what that means.” Thor hands his picture to Morgan, “you are a smart child little Stark and you child of spiders,” Thor stands regarding the pair, “I shall take your council to heart and ‘double check’ as you say.”

 

With a smile Thor lifts his ax and swings it up on his shoulder while gazing into the puffy clouds, “for Loki to come back would be wonderous.”

 

“Well hurry up and go look,” Morgan demands, “then come back and play with us when you find him! You said you would help me play the next level of the video game when mommy and daddy go on date night!”

 

Thor chuckles, “I shall little one.” 

 

Turning to Peter the god smiles, “take care of your little sister spider child and I look forward to being on the battlefield with you again in the future.”

 

Waving the man wanders down the grass hill towards the ship and the people running around it.

 

“Peter,” Morgan taps Peter’s shoulder gaining the teen’s attention. “What did Thor write? I can’t read it.”

 

To Peter’s shock the god of thunder drew about as good as Morgan, stick figures in various colors stand surrounded by gray rectangles and weird black slugs in the sky. From the colors Peter knew it was the avengers and his guess from the slugs that those were the giant aliens from New York battle years ago. At the bottom Peter reads out loud to Morgan, “I am thankful to call you my brother in arms, from the strongest avenger.”

 

“What’s brother in arms mean Peter?”

 

“Ah, someone you fight battles with and you two help each other win.”

 

“Will you be my brother in arms for water gun fights with daddy then?”

 

“Of course, Morgan.”

 

“But Peter I think Thor lied,” she fixes him with a small but cute frown.

 

“How so Morgan,” Peter gathers the coloring utensils and papers.

 

“Well he isn’t the strongest avenger,” she states as she reaches out. Peter takes the hint and offers her hand for him to hold after shifting the supplies.

 

“Then who is?” 

 

“Daddy is. He saved the whole world silly.”

 

Peter smiled, “actually he saved the universe so that’s even bigger than the world.”

 

“So, he’s the strongest avenger!” She states with a nod. Peter doubted anyone could change Morgan’s mind now.

 

“Where to now Morgan?” 

 

“I’m hungry!” she declares, “lets get a snack!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally believe that after Bruce had to see Thor struggle with his depression over his loses in the five years, that Bruce would probably wish Loki was back for his friend....a nicer version of Loki probably.....but even if this wasn't a direct thought, you can't tell me Bruce's subconscious and Hulk's subconscious wouldn't want Thor to be happy
> 
> And which Loki is the nicer version....a younger Loki......


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for Bruce to appear.......a tricky chapter since my feelings on big green bruce is kinda mixed.....

When Peter Parker is hungry, finding a kitchen wasn’t usually a problem. Finding full cupboards or fridge was sometimes questionable but he knew where to go. Even in Mr. Stark’s buildings, Happy gave some vague ‘up and to the left’ directions yet he found his way to the food giving room as if driven by some instinct. 

After wandering down a seventh hallway, the accurate number provided by Morgan, Peter realizes they were definitely nowhere near any kitchen and probably quite lost. 

“Peter are we going to starve?” 

The four-year-old was now sitting on the stone floor against the ornately carved hall wall looked as if she was fighting an internal battle to cry or not. Peter knew the shine in her eyes would become tears soon if he didn’t find food. In fact, part of him would want to join her in crying considering his stomach was twisting painfully. 

“No Morgan, the next time we pass a guard or worker we’ll stop and ask them where to go.”

Peter had avoided the stern-faced guards in the first two halls, he’s regretting that choice now. 

“Morgan?!”

Trudging down the hallway with a duffel bag comes a fully clothed Hulk with his one arm in a medical sling. 

_Wait, that’s not the Hulk? Why is Banner big and green?_

“D-dr. Banner!” Peter squeaks out as Morgan stands up next to him.

“Uncle Bruce!” She cries out, “we’re hungry and we’re lost!” 

With that Morgan lets a few tears fall down her cheeks, Peter strokes her head that he’s seen his neighbors back home due to soothe their children.

_Wait, would those people be children still?_

“Well don’t cry Morgan, I’ll get you two to the kitchen in no time. Come along.”

Peter takes Morgan’s hand, juggling the art in his other arm, the pair follow the green giant back the way they came. 

The silence between them all was interrupted by Peter’s grumbling stomach. An embarrassing noise for the teen but when the little girl stops silently crying to giggle the teen decides it’s an embarrassment he won’t mind for now. 

“So, you’re Spiderman right?”

Dr. Banner catches Peter’s attention as they turn down a side hall.

“Ah, yeah, um I mean, well my name is Parker. I mean Peter Parker. Sir.” 

Dr. Banner chuckles, “don’t be nervous kid. I’m not the out of control Hulk anymore.”

“Oh that’s-that’s not it,” Peter takes a few faster steps as he tugs Morgan’s arm, the little girl giggles as she hops high in the air and they catch up to the big green man. “You’re just so amazing! I mean I’ve read all your papers, the one on radiation was super helpful when I got my powers. Then the paper you wrote for the science journal, that one I did my midterm report on!”

Dr. Banner pauses and looks down, Peter flushes when he realizes he was rambling again.

“You read those?”

“Yeah! I mean how could I not? You’re such an important person in the field of science!”

Dr. Banner gives a chuckle and Peter’s cheeks heat up even more, the group continues walking for a few seconds before the green man speaks again.

“I’m honored you think so highly of me. Most people stop me to talk about the Hulk, well now a days that’s not a thing since I’m like this.” 

“Well the Hulk is cool too. When I saw him on TV smashing the aliens in New York I felt that if anyone could bring down the big scary sky slug things it would be him.”

“Yeah well Hulk was cool sometimes but most of the time he was a bit out of control,” Dr. Banner sighs.

“Aren’t most kids though?” Peter smiles at the man.

Dr. Banner looks down again, “what do you mean?”

“Well if Hulk was created only a few years before the battle of New York wouldn’t that make Hulk only a few years old? And he only learns when he is let out and the only time, he was out was during battle so he didn’t get to learn a lot about the world and social expectations. Not to mention kids run more on instinct then anything and that’s what Hulk seemed to be doing when I saw stuff about him. Perhaps if he has time to learn and grow intellectually, he can develop the abilities of higher speech, waiting, listening, and maybe even a few manners.”

Peter stops rambling when he realizes Dr. Banner stopped walking. Peter wonders if he’s insulted the man.

 

“I-I mean if you’ve already figured all that out then forget what I said. Wait! I’m sure you already figured all that out, I heard you talking to Ms. Romanoff the other night about Sakaar.”

“What’s Sakaar Peter?” Morgan asks as she tugs on the teen.

“Oh ah the adults were sharing battle stories last night in Tony---ah Dad’s room. One of the stories were about Hulk and Thor on a planet way up in the sky and Hulk was the planet’s hero there.”

“Oh wow,” Morgan turns to the giant man, “are you going to go back there and help again now that daddy’s saved everyone?”

“Ah no kiddo, they don’t need my help anymore,” Dr. Banner replies hesitantly. “How did you hear that kid?”

Peter pointed to his ears, “I was out in the waiting area and I have super hearing. I also wanted to hear about what I missed when Tony and I were in space. Bummer I missed the Wakanda battle, sounded crazy.”

“You didn’t miss much from me kid,” Dr. Banner lead the pair down a third hallway. This one has a few people standing guard in it. “Hulk wouldn’t come out and help even though he was intelligent enough at that point to know what he needed to do.”

“Well of course he didn’t come out, who would blame him,” Peter snorts.

Dr. Banner regards the teen again curiously, “what do you mean?”

“Well Hulk was still like a kid and kids know when people don’t like them. And when people don’t like them, they don’t want to be around. Right Morgan?”

The little girl nods as she smacks a giant leaf of a decorative plant they pass. “Mr. Arnold at mommy’s office doesn’t like me, he says I’m messy and loud. So, I don’t go to the office when Mr. Arnold is around.”

“See,” Peter nods, “Hulk knew lots of people here on earth don’t like him. Why would he want to be here if people talk bad about him and want him gone?”

“Oh Peter its me and mommy’s room!” Morgan squeals, jumping and pointing at the door to the right of the three not far down the hall. “We have a kitchen in our room!”

Morgan lets go and runs toward the door. Only the child stops at the door, turning around and running back looking upset again.

“Peter we forgot to get Uncle Bruce’s picture!”

“Oh yeah,” the teen pushed aside the hunger twisting pain again to pull out a blank page and makers. 

“Uncle Bruce you need to draw a picture for daddy! We’re going to hang them up in his room,” the little girl continues as she takes the items from Peter and hands them to the giant man. Peter suddenly wonders if this will work considering how large the man’s hand is.

Dr. Banner sets his bag down and sits on the floor between the pair, “I’ll make a picture.”

Peter squats down and watches as the man uses his leg as a table to draw on. It was so fascinating how tiny the markers looked in his hands. 

“Uncle Bruce, is it hard to have big hands all the time?” 

Peter was glad and embarrassed at Morgan’s words, glad since he wondered the same thing and embarrassed since he knew it probably wasn’t polite to ask. 

“Ah yeah,” Dr. Banner replies as he, “I do miss using regular cellphones since I now have to use tablets and apps for that. And using keyboards, I must wait for modified keyboards for myself to use. And door frames can get annoying. And finding clothes-“

“Then why don’t you go back to being regular Dr. Banner,” Morgan cuts in, “and then let regular Hulk go back to being regular Hulk?”

“Well,” Dr. Banner looked at the child with a concerned look, “I used science to combine the two of us.”

“Wait, what?” Peter was surprised, “I thought this,” he waves his hand at Dr. Banner, “was an side effect of Hulk. You two are combined?”

“I took the Hulks power and skills then smushed it with myself-“

“That’s not combining,” Morgan cuts in with a frown, “that’s taking part of Hulk and making it yours. If you combined them, then you mix two things to make something new. You’re not new, you’re just Dr. Banner with a big green body.”

“Wait does that mean you have Hulk’s memories? What was Sakaar like? What is traveling with Thor like?” Peter cuts in.

Dr. Banner clears his throat as he appears to think for a moment before responding to the curious teen and frowning child. 

“No I don’t have Hulk’s memories exactly, I just know what he did during that time as well as pieces from when I was around as a human between things.”

“So Morgan’s right, you took Hulk’s skills.” Peter interjects. 

“Listen this is kinda complicated for you two-“

“No its not,” Morgan cross her arms, “Peter’s a genius and so am I. You should blast yourself again so that you can be human Uncle Bruce so you can come inside the house for dinner next time and use the new cellphone daddy made. And when you become Hulk again you can play with Peter and me so Hulk can learn how to be gentle and that people like him. Also if you’re Hulk you can help Peter protect people.” 

Peter sees Dr. Banner beginning to be distressed, the marker bending in his fingers, his eyes shifting nervously. The teen decides its time to back off before one of his science idols refuses to talk to him ever again.

“Hey Morgan it’s ok. Lets get this picture done so we can eat, you’re kinda getting crabby and I think its because you’re hungry.”

Morgan aims her frown at Peter but it disappears after a few seconds. “Yeah ok.”

Dr. Banner hands the picture to the little girl, “it was nice seeing you Morgan.”

“Thanks Uncle Bruce, I’ll see you soon,” she gets up and hops towards the door.

“Dr. Banner,” Peter starts as the man shifts to stand, “I’m sorry we made you feel uncomfortable. It doesn’t matter how you are now or what you decide to become: I’ll always be a fan.” Peter holds out his hand and its engulfed by a large green one, “if you’re ever in Queens feel free to drop by. And if you ever feel a Hulk smash urge let me know, I’m sure we can find a demolition site we can just let our powers loose in.”

“Peter! Come on! Mommy said she’ll make us lunch!”

“See yah Dr. Banner!” 

Peter turns and heads to the open-door Morgan is hanging on the knob from.

“Hey kid,” Peter turns towards Dr. Banner, “you can call me Bruce.”

Peter’s mouth becomes a largest smile he’s had in a while, “sure thing Mr. Bruce.”

“Peter! Hurry or Aunt Natasha and Mr. Clint will eat everything!”

Peter chuckles quietly and follows the girl inside the private quarters of Mr. Stark’s wife and child.


	5. Chapter 5

A plate of cucumber sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, a pitcher of water, and dish of flavored nuts of some kind was all that separated Peter Parker from two of the deadliest assassins in the world: Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. 

 

“Kid I can hear your stomach over on this side of the table, just eat already,” Clint pushed the sandwiches towards the teen, Morgan’s little hand stealing a second from the plate now that her first was gone.

 

Peter takes a sandwich and knows it should taste good; it should taste better then any school lunch. After all he saw Pepper make them before dashing off to take a phone call. But as he bites and chews, the food is tasteless to him. Swallowing was just as hard today as it was the last few days. Darn metabolism causing his stomach to growl, he’d skip eating tasteless food if he his body didn’t keep giving him away. 

 

“These are yummy, but I like the fruit,” Morgan declares as she snatches some slice of white fruit from the bowl. “Thanks for getting them Aunt Nat.”

 

“Anything for you sweetie,” the assassin smiles in a way Peter has never seen in any photos ever put online, a friendly almost mom like smile. 

 

“Thank you Ms. Romanoff,” Peter quietly adds.

 

“Please,” she turns to him, “Call me Natasha.”

 

Peter coughs around the bite he was swallowing in shock. Morgan’s little hands start patting Peter’s back and Clint Barton passes a glass of water to the teen.

 

“Easy there spider kid, don’t think Tony would like it if he reversed the dusting only to find out you choked to death,” he chuckles. “And call me Clint while we’re on the topic. Or Uncle Clint if you really want,” he winks. 

 

Peter sets down the glass, “I’ll pass on the Uncle Clint, sir.”

 

Clint shrugs, “suit yourself. I’m going to have Morgan calling me Uncle Clint eventually.”

 

“Nope, I have enough uncles,” the little girl smirks.

 

“You can never have enough uncles. Besides I have kids you can play with. You’re around the same age as my youngest son.”

 

“Ew,” she tries to look disgusted, but her cute face fails, “boys are gross.”

 

Both assassins laugh and Happy chuckles as he sits down beside Peter, stealing a sandwich from the pile.

 

“Boss will be glad to hear you say that kiddo,” Happy replies.

 

“But Morgan,” Peter looks at her, “I’m a boy.”

 

“But that’s different. You’re my brother and brothers aren’t gross, they’re amazing,” she waves her hands dramatically for emphasis. 

 

Peter pats the little girl on the head, “thanks Morgan.”

 

Clint’s phone pings, interrupting the moment. He quickly grabs it, typing furiously. 

 

“Laura?” Natasha asks as she takes another sandwich. 

 

“Naw, Lila asking when I’m flying home.”

 

“When will that be,” the woman asks.

 

“As soon as I finish eating, packing, and have you convinced to come with me,” he winks at the assassin woman. 

 

Natasha only gives a low chuckle as the archer stands up, typing on his phone more.

 

“Going to pick up my old gear from the king’s sister, be back soon.”

 

“You have to come back soon!” Morgan shouts at him, “you didn’t do a picture yet!”

 

Natasha glances at the little girl, “what do you mean?”

 

“We’re making happy pictures for daddy when he wakes up. You have to make one Aunt Nat! You too Uncle Happy!” 

 

The little girl wiggles in her chair to reach for the pile of items on the floor. Peter reaches down and gets them before the little girl can topple over. 

 

“Thanks Petey!” She giggles.

 

Peter hands out paper and lays the markers and crayons between the food dishes. Both adults surprisingly take to the tasks swiftly and seriously. Something Peter didn’t expect from either of them. 

 

_Actually, I shouldn’t be surprised. Tony touches people in ways I can never do._

 

Taking another slow bite of another sandwich, Peter watches Morgan slip some nuts into her napkin.

 

“Saving those for later?” He leans over to whisper.

 

“Nope, I’m saving them for daddy. Daddy will like these, we don’t have nuts like these back home,” she responds thoughtfully. “I would keep one of mommy’s sandwiches, but it will get yucky fast.” 

 

“Yeah,” the teen clears his throat, “that’d wouldn’t work.” 

 

“Petey,” she uses the new nickname, “daddy will wake up, right?”

 

She fixes him with a sad look that made what little happiness he felt shatter away.

 

“He will Morgan,” Peter could only whisper, “he has to.”

 

Peter then heard it. The little voice in his head. The one he heard after Ben died. 

 

_If he doesn’t wake up, what then?_

_Who will help you with your suit?_

_Will you even get a real Stark internship if he’s gone?_

_You should have moved faster._

_If you had gone faster, maybe one of the more powerful people could have snapped. Like Banner did._

_Anyone with powers could have snapped._

_**I** could have snapped._

_**I** have super strength and super healing, why didn’t **I** snap?_

_I don’t deserve to eat Pepper’s sandwiches._

_I don’t deserve to eat the fruit Ms. Romanoff cut._

_Tony is downstairs being fed with a tube. I could have helped. I have super healing. I could’ve helped. If it was me down there it would be better. Tony deserves to sit here with his family. Not me. Not me. Another I couldn’t save._

 

“Peter!” 

 

Peter’s head snaps up at the sharp tone. Ms. Romanoff had reached across the table, her hand pressing down on the teen’s with deep pressure. 

 

“Breathe with me Peter,” she inhales audibly and exhales loudly.

 

The teen copies, realizing his breathing had become short and erratic as he hiccuped a little trying to copy her. 

 

“Petey I’m sorry,” Morgan pats his arm as his breathing returns to a more normal pace, “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

 

“You didn’t Morgan,” the teen sighs, “I’m ok. Sometimes I’m not, but I’m ok now.”

 

The child nods and continues to pat his arm. Happy slides more water towards the teen and places some berries on his plate in silence. 

 

“Is it because you left and then came back? Did it hurt you?” She asks timidly.

 

Died. The word was died. But he didn’t want to tell her that. Morgan doesn’t need that word in her life yet. He knows what its like to understand that word at a young age and it wasn’t pleasant. 

 

“I-I don’t know Morgan,” he answers honestly.

 

“Aunt Nat went away, but she came back.”

 

Peter looked at the assassin. He was under the impression the original Avengers survived the snap.

 

“So, so you-ah- you got,” he wiggles his fingers.

 

Natasha shook her head, “no. Something else happened, but Rogers put back what was taken and so I’m here now.”

 

For a moment the teen sips on his water. He sees the assassin’s eyes glaze over darkly and he knows its probably the same look he has.

 

“Are you ok?” 

 

She nods and takes a red crayon, attention fixated back on her paper and off Peter. “I’m fine.”

 

Ah, Peter knew that tone. He uses it all the time himself. Time to pull an Aunt May because maybe helping Natasha can help the teen find a way to fix himself.

 

“Are you really?”

 

The assassin’s crayon stops moving on the page, but she didn’t look up.

 

“Hey Peter,” Happy leans in, “how about we move on. This topic is a little scary for little ears.”

 

The teen nods but Morgan cuts in.

 

“You know Aunt Nat, if what happened to you is scary, I can give you a hug. When scary things happen to me my mommy and daddy make them go away by giving me hugs.”

 

The assassin gives a sad but soft smile, “I always love your hugs Morgan.”

 

The child jumps from her chair, scampering over to the assassin and climbing on her lap. Two little arms wrap around Natasha’s neck and the assassin’s shoulders slowly relax as a response. 

 

“And,” Morgan pulls back, “if I’m not around maybe your friends can give you hugs to help make the scary stuff go away.” 

 

“Don’t worry little Stark, I think I can help with that.”

 

Clint dropped two duffel bags on beside the table, eyes focused solely on Natasha.

 

“She’s got a point. How about you come stay with some friends for awhile. I happen to know of three really good huggers who can chase away anything scary,” the archer winks.

 

Natasha looks at Morgan then to Clint a few times. But Morgan is the first to respond.

 

“You should go rest Aunt Nat,” the child attempts to whisper but obviously fails, “you look like you need a nap.”

 

Clint and Happy lose it laughing at this comment. 

 

Natasha smiles and kisses Morgan’s cheek. “Alright, I’ll go take a break. But I’ll be back soon to check on your daddy.”

 

“Ok, we can all meet at the lake house once daddy is better.”

 

Natasha nods, picking up her paper and giving it to the child.

 

“Thanks Aunt Nat!”

 

“If you call me Uncle Clint, I’ll give you my picture I made for your dad,” Clint held up his own artwork. Peter wondered when the man made that.

 

Morgan’s face scrunches up is disgust, “fine Uncle Clint.”

 

The archer laughs deeply, “not quite what I wanted but close enough.” He hands off the page.

 

Morgan dashes back to her chair, adding the pictures to the pile she has collected. Happy reaches over and puts his on top. Morgan moves it to the bottom with a giggle. 

 

The attention shifts as the sounds of Pepper’s feet fill the air. 

 

Walking into the kitchen with purpose, phone against her ear, Pepper taps swiftly on her tablet. She appeared to not notice Morgan mutter “you said no working mommy.”

 

“Don’t worry Harley I’ll get this all worked out. I’ve reserved you a room at the local Best Western down the street. I want you to stay there and I’ll schedule a driver and a flight right now. Once I’ve got that I’ll call you back with the information. I also want you to make a list of everything you need so I can buy it and get it to you as soon as possible.”

 

“I don’t think your mom’s working Morgan,” Peter whispers to the little girl as he hands her a banana she was trying to reach, “sounds like she’s helping someone special.” 

 

“But who? You’re here. Daddy’s here. Uncle Rhodey is here. Aunt Nat is here. Uncle Happy is here,” she listed off with her little fingers.

 

“I-I’m not sure,” Peter glances over at the adults.

 

Clint was back to texting, oblivious to the world. Natasha was watching Pepper closely. Happy was watching but not as intensely. Peter felt this was the weakest link.

 

“Who’s she talking to Happy?” He quietly asks.

 

“Tennessee kid I’m thinking,” Happy replies. “He was dusted too, and Pepper was going to check on him.”

 

“And I’m glad I did,” Pepper huffs as she types furiously. “He came back to find his mom ran off somewhere and his sister adopted by a nice family in these last five years. The family said he could stay with them, but he feels out of place, especially with his sister five years older and not remembering him very well. Which he isn’t taking too good.”

 

“Who’s Harley?” Peter asks quietly to Happy.

 

“A kid in Tennessee that helped Tony back during the Mandarin issue. Tony was often sending money and resources down to the kid and once a year Harley would visit the tower.” 

 

“Do I get another big brother?!” Morgan shrieks and claps.

 

“Big brother?” Happy asks.

 

“Another?” Natasha catches the words.

 

“Yeah!” Morgan points at Peter, “Peter doesn’t have a mommy or a daddy or an uncle so I said he could share mine if he promises to be my big brother. I’ll share with Harley too if he wants to be my big brother!”

 

Pepper doesn’t say anything but sets down her tablet to come over and hug her little daughter, “you’re definitely like your daddy.”

 

The quiet moment was cut in as Clint sat down his phone, “I don’t know Morgan. My Lila has two brothers and sometimes she wants me to send them away because they bother her.”

 

“Well that’s not nice,” Morgan frowns over her mother’s shoulder.

 

“I’m sure you’ll understand someday kiddo,” Clint only chuckles and grabs another sandwich. “Ready Romanoff?”

 

Pepper stands and goes to Natasha’s side as the assassin stands up. 

 

“Thank you for everything,” the woman engulfs Natasha in a hug.

 

“You better keep me updated,” the assassin smiles.

 

“Of course and as soon as we are all settled back home, we’ll invite you and Clint and the family over for a cook out.” Pepper smiles at the pair.

 

Natasha shifts her feet, “maybe I should stay.”

 

“No Nat, go take a break. Its time for everyone to get some rest. The world is safe. Tony will wake up when he’s ready. Go rest.”

 

Pepper shooed the pair out of the kitchen as they said more goodbyes then Peter says to his aunt. Maybe he should say more goodbyes from now on. 

 

“Now young lady,” Pepper turns onto her daughter, “you need to go down for a quick nap.”

 

“No I don’t, I’m a big kid,” Morgan sulks.

 

“Yes but you were up late last night and early this morning. One hour of sleep will do you some good.”

 

“But Peter and me are going to hang pictures!” she whines. 

 

Peter decides to step in before she melts down like the kids back home did.

 

“Hey I’m going to go down and sit with your dad. You can come down after your rest, I’ll wait for you, and then we’ll hang up the pictures.”

 

“Promise?”

 

Peter nods at the small hopeful eyes, “I promise.” 

 

And with that promise sealed with pinkies at Morgan’s insistence, Pepper carries the girl off to bed and Happy wanders off with a plate of food muttering about the teen’s aunt.


	6. Chapter 6

Peter kept his promise, his feet taking him once again to Tony’s medical room despite everyone’ s best efforts stop him. And he now sees why. Happy hadn’t spent several minutes trying to encourage the teen to email his friends or watch a movie for no reason. May had come up and attempted to convince him to take a nap with Morgan for no reason. Had Pepper not been busy maybe she would have told him the truth. But she was with Morgan. And he learned the truth the moment the medical door swung open and his brown eyes landed on Tony in his bed. 

 

The drawings he and Morgan had collected along with some tape he stole from the apartment fell to the floor as he felt his hands beginning to tremble. Tony’s upper torso sat in full view with the sheet down while a Wakanadan nurse tended to the bandages across his chest and shoulder. A shoulder that ended in a bandaged stump, his permanently damaged arm no longer there.

 

“The-“ Peter cleared his throat, “the surgery was supposed to be tomorrow.”

 

The nurse covers Tony’s body with the blanket once she was satisfied with what she was checking.

 

“The doctor felt,” she spoke slowly with the common Wakanadan accent, “that doing the surgery while he is in his coma was better. That way he won’t have to go under sedation for the surgery later and risk issues with waking up after the surgery.”

 

Peter didn’t look at the woman, “so you think he’ll wake up soon?”

 

“Its hard to tell. He has been making progress on the Glasgow Coma Scale so that is a positive.”

 

Peter knew that didn’t mean Tony would recover. He researched the coma scale and documents last night. But an improvement on the scale was a good sign. Hopefully. 

 

The nurse bent down, scooping up the pictures and tape. She handed them to Peter but didn’t let go until the teen made eye contact with her.

 

“Mr. Stark is an amazing man. If anyone can pull through this, it will be him.”

 

Peter felt his eyes burn again, blinking rapidly he felt the tears spill from his eyes. The nurse reaches out and cleans them away.

 

“I’ll leave you two together. I’ll be back to check on him again in a couple hours. The call button is hanging on the headboard still.”

 

She squeezes his shoulder and slips out the door. 

 

Peter slowly steps up to the bed, setting the pictures at the foot of it and taking up residence in the chair beside the bed. Pulling it closer, Peter didn’t settle until he was touching the bed and staring up at Tony’s face. 

 

“I don’t know if you can hear me,” Peter sighs, “but please, please come back. You can’t leave Ms. Potts like this. You gotta come back because she’ll get bored without you causing chaos for her. You gotta come back because Mr. Rhodes will miss your crazy ideas even though he says you annoy him. I heard him yesterday talking about you guys in college. Sounds like you were a hellion back then. But I could tell he loved that about you too. And I heart Happy say he misses your silly nicknames and random calls for a ride at all hours. But above all you have to come back to Morgan. I was her age when my parents died and I remember the pain of them not coming back, of Aunt May and Uncle Ben trying to explain to me what happened. I remember kids at school acting like death was a sickness they could catch and make their parents disappear forever. I remember crying myself to sleep every night because mom wasn’t there to kiss me good night and dad wasn’t there to check for monsters under my bed. I struggle to remember the good memories of them Mr. Stark because those bad moments where just so bad. Don’t let Morgan be like me and forget all the fun and good moments she had with you because the sadness of losing you is so strong.”

 

At this point Peter felt tears dripping off his chin. He sniffs the string of snot back into his nose as he reaches for a tissue off the bedside table. 

 

“Please Mr. Stark. Please Tony. Please come back. I’ve lost my parents. I’ve lost my Uncle Ben. I can’t lose you too. Who’s going to yell at me when I’m out on patrol past my curfew? Who’s going to patch my suit? I don’t even have a way to recharge my nano suit. Tony you gotta come back and tell me how to work this thing better! It took me over an hour to figure out how to get it to deactivate! I had to pee so bad Tony and that dumb thing wouldn’t let me.” Peter huffs a teary chuckle. “You would have found that funny.”

 

For a moment Peter just silently cried and blew his nose a few times. Once he was in control of himself again he just sat there staring at Tony, listening to the heart monitor. He focused more. He heard the steady beat of Tony’s heart, the rush of air into his lungs with each breath, the thrum of his blood through his veins and arteries. Tony was alive, but yet not.

 

“Tony,” Peter finally speaks again, “am I a curse?”

 

The response was just the even sounds of Tony living in the bed.

 

“I mean,” Peter continues, “my parents died when I was little. When I was nine there was a-a, well, an incident with my babysitter. Then I get bit by that spider and dang was that an awful three days. Then because of me Uncle Ben died. Heck I couldn’t even stop the Captain’s team at that airport in Germany. I had one job and in the end all I did was slow them down before getting swatted like a bug. Kinda ironic right?” Peter gave a pathetic chuckle.

 

Peter watched his mentor’s lungs rise and fall steadily. He couldn’t even muster an imagined voice of his mentor. 

 

“Then I fell into the Hudson, then the Washington issue, then the ferry problem, and to top it off I crashed your plane. You never got upset about the plane, but I mean I doubt that was ok since planes crashing are kinda big deal.”

 

Peter paused again, the images of the plane on a beach with fire across the sand fills his mind. Taking steadying breaths, he focuses his mind past those images. But replacing it was an image of an orange landscape of dirt and rocks. 

 

“If I had been just a little stronger, I could have gotten that glove off and none of this would have happened.”

 

Peter takes a few more steadying breaths, trying to push the images out of his head. But now a new thought fills his mind. On a role with confessions he knows will never be heard or acknowledged by anyone he continues onward.

 

“I’m scared Tony. Five years have passed. Just seeing some of the heroes who were left behind, seeing your family, seeing how those Wakanda people acted when they saw their loved ones again…..I’m scared Tony. The world kept on going while I was gone. I’m scared what I’ll find when I leave Wakanda. May wants to go back soon. She wants to address the apartment and job issues, after all: five years have passed. But I don’t want to go back. Just watching the news from the USA on the internet bothers me. I see a world that is familiar but yet not. I’m also scared to sleep Tony. When I was dusted it hurt but in those last few seconds it was like falling asleep. Then coming back it was like waking up. I’m scared to sleep because I’m afraid I won’t wake up or if I do another five years will pass.”

 

Peter falls quiet for a moment, tapping his foot on the floor rapidly to anchor his emotions and mind. He knew he needs to change his train of thoughts if he wants to not be a sobbing mess when Morgan comes back. 

 

“Enough of this,” Peter sighs, “you should see what Morgan got for you.”

 

Peter takes up the pictures and holds them in front of Tony, although the older man’s eyes were only small slits which he was told was reflexive. But Peter angled the pictures a little so that maybe if his pupils were in the slit area they might process the colors. 

 

“This one is obviously from Morgan since its your family at what looks like a really basic middle class house. Shocking, the great Tony Stark a regular middle class family man now,” Peter snickers. He flips the page, “this one is mine. It’s us. Me swinging on a web and you in the suit, we’re protecting New York.” Peter flips and gasps, “this is Captain Americas and holy crap is it good. Look at this Tony, the man did a life like picture of you two shaking hands together. Guess you guys got over the whole Germany thing then.” Peter flips the page and snorts, “well since Mr. Wilson’s name is on this, I guess its his, although I think Morgan is better at this then him. I mean these are just rectangles with circles for heads and lines for appendages. Oh,” Peter slides the page down reveal the next, “looks like Mr. Barnes wrote a letter with equally childish stick figures. Although his have more detail then Mr. Wilson’s. Here, I’ll read it to you since you can’t right now,” Peter leans over the bed so the page was still in front of Tony. 

 

“Dear Stark, my greatest regret is I never got to tell you face to face how sorry I am. I know Steve says that being mind-controlled means I’m not to blame for my actions. But I still feel awful for what I did. I hope you will make a swift recovery so I can show you with my actions how sorry I am. Get Well Soon, James Barnes.”  
Peter sat down and stared at the page for a moment. He knew the Winter Solider had done something big to Tony, he overheard bits and pieces at the hotel when Tony returned alone from Siberia. Super hearing helps only so much when your tired though. 

 

“You better make sure to talk to this man when you wake up Tony,” Peter whispers, “I know how it feels to not get a chance to say sorry to someone you’ve hurt before they die.” 

 

Sniffing his tears and snot back into his body as thoughts of his Uncle push forward in his brain. Peter quickly flips to the next page and gives a chuckle at it. 

 

“Morgan drew another one. Is that a llama or an alpaca?” He tilts the pictures back towards Tony, “either way it seems you went and got some unconventional pet. Of course, Tony Stark wouldn’t just get his kid some cat or dog, gotta do something crazy.” He flips the page again, “I drew us in the space donut. Honestly space was kinda scary, but I stopped being scared fast. Want to know why?” He pauses and gets the noise of the heart machine and Tony’s breathing. “I wasn’t scared because I was with you. Being with you made things less scary. Even when my body started turn into dust. I started to lose feeling and the pain was a bit much, but I was really glad I was with you through it. I’m selfish for thinking that. I remember your face. Its why I said sorry because I knew I was making you upset, but I was selfishly glad it happened with you and not at the MOMA.” 

 

He flips the page and laughs again at the image of a small Thor and Iron Man flying through the sky that Thor drew. “Mr. Thor say’s ‘from the strongest avenger to the smartest’. He underlined the words ‘strongest avenger’ so I think he might be trying to make a point Tony.” He flips to the next, “here’s another from Morgan. Ah, did you make a suit for Morgan because that’s definitely a version of a suit’s helmet she’s got on.” He glances at his mentor, “you probably should hide Morgan’s armor before Pepper finds out,” he whispers. Peter knows this room is always recorded and the last thing Tony needs is to wake up and get yelled at by Pepper. And Peter might have to agree, a little girl doesn’t need armor. Not yet. 

 

“This picture,” Peter flips to the next, “is when we went to Germany. Remember when you called out ‘Underoos’ and I swung in all professional superhero like and snagged Captain America’s shield? Yeah that was super amazing.” He flips again, “ah this is Doctor Banner’s. His art is a little better then expected considering his hands are super big now. Oh,” he glances at Tony, “is that a permanent thing cuz that’s gotta be annoying. When you get better you should invent a phone and computer keyboard for him that’s big enough for his hands.”

 

He flips off the science bro picture to one that had Tony and his family in a field with Hawkeye’s family. He only knew this because Hawkeye wore his costume and wrote everyone’s names above the corresponding stick figures. 

 

“Looks like Mr. Barton wants you to come and have a family BBQ at his place when you get better. Oh and Ms. Romanoff also wants to---is that word sh-shwa-shwarma? Well, she has a picture of you two going out to eat together with Pepper and Morgan. Gotta say she probably is the second best at this picture making. Oh,” he glances at Tony, “don’t tell them I said that. They want me calling them by their first names but its kinda awkward for me since we just met.”

 

He flips the page and chuckles, “Looks like Happy is a slight step above the stick figures others were making. Guess you two in a car is kinda your life story.”  
Peter pulls back and stares at the picture for a moment. 

 

“Think Happy will let me call him still?” Peter asks softly, “I know I annoy the man, but I like him. Also, its nice to tell someone about my superhero stuff who understands it a little more. He’s been with you longer so I think he gets it more than May gets it.”

 

Peter continues to sit quietly listening to the rhythm of the machines and Tony’s body staying alive. His eyes stare up at the ceiling now as his thoughts skitter all over the place. He isn’t sure how long he sits like that, but he is brought back to the present when the door opens loudly.

 

“Peter!”

 

Morgan rushes in, her ponytail a little off center and a flushed just slept color in her cheeks.

 

“Hey Morgan, ready to hang up the pictures,” Peter replies as he stands up and hopes the little girl doesn’t see the flat sheet area where her father’s arm is supposed to be.

 

“How is daddy,” she asks as she steps up to the bed to look around Peter at him.

 

“He’s doing the eye thing,” Peter chuckles, “where they’re open a slit.”

 

The little girl nodded. She then reaches up and pats the empty spot where Tony’s arm was supposed to be.

 

“Mommy said Daddy’s arm had to come off because it was making him sick.” She frowns, “how will he pick me up?”

 

“Oh Morgan,” Peter picks her up and hugs her, “don’t worry. You daddy will make a new arm. If he doesn’t then I will.”

 

“You can build an arm,” she gasps.

 

“I built my own webshooters and I built a computer and I used broken parts to make a radio-“

 

Morgan cuts him off with a little hand on his lips, “ok if I draw a picture for his new arm, can you build it?”

 

Peter nodded, “yeah. We will have to wait till he’s a bit better but yeah we can do that together.”

 

She nods, “ok. Can we hang the pictures now?” 

 

Peter sets her down and hands her the pile of pictures while he grabs the tape. 

 

“Ok Morgan where should they go?”

 

Morgan manages to hang the pictures she drew with the help of the chair. Peter felt a little nervous letting the girl on the chair. It would be his luck that she would fall and get hurt. He finally convinced her to sit by her father to tell him if the pictures are in the right spot. Peter hangs the rest with Morgan telling him where they go as she sits on the chair by her father. Peter’s taping the last picture to the wall when Morgan catches his attention.

 

“Peter, Daddy’s awake!” 

 

Peter sighed. He got that excited the first time Tony’s eyes opened.

 

“Remember Morgan,” he responds without turning around as he struggles with the tape sticking to his fingers and folding. “The doctor said his eyes will open sometimes but that doesn’t mean his brain is awake yet.” 

 

“No Peter! He’s looking at me!” 

 

Peter turns around to see Morgan leaning onto Tony’s lap and staring into the man’s face. He quickly dashed over hoping the child didn’t put pressure on any injuries. 

 

“Morgan don’t sit on your dad like that, he’s hurt remember.” He lifts the girl off Tony, glancing at the monitors to make sure no changes happened. He let out a breath he was holding when he saw the machines didn’t change.

 

“Peter he’s watching me!” Morgan squeals and wiggles in his hands. 

 

Peter sighs and is about to comment, but his eyes land on Tony’s face. Two brown eyes were open wide but instead of the usual glazed look staring off ahead of him, the brown eyes are filled with a brightness and angled upward. 

 

Peter’s breath caught and he felt his heart-rate speed up. 

 

“Hold on Morgan,” Peter says. 

 

He lowers Morgan towards the bed and sets her at Tony’s knees. The brown eyes follow. Peter lifts Morgan up above his head this time, the girl giggling, and the brown eyes follow. Peter repeats this motion again and again the brown eyes follow. 

 

"M'gn," a raspy grunt filled the silence followed by an airy "P't'r"

“Oh my gosh,” Peter gasps and drops Morgan onto the bed by Tony’s knees. “I need to----we have to----Pepper!” Peter glances around the room, “no a doctor! A nurse!” his hands fly for the call button on the headboard, pressing his quickly. The plastic button clicks but then crumbles in his hand from his strength. “Oh shit, oh shit!” he drops the plastic and wires, “hang on Tony!” 

 

Morgan laughs manically at this, “uh oh, you’re in trouble. Daddy saw you break that button and he heard you say a no-no word.”

 

True enough Peter saw Tony’s eyes were watching him and the teen’s already panicking was brought up a notch. Tony’s first moments was of him dangerously lifting his kid and breaking expensive hospital equipment. Dang.

 

The door bursts open and in rushes the nurse from before and several other workers. Peter grabs the still laughing child, stepping against the far wall, as the staff began working on Tony and his machines. 

 

“Daddy’s awake,” Morgan whispers into Peter’s ear. “Everything is going to get better now.”

 

Peter responds by holding the girl closer and nodding, “Yeah, Morgan you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WEEEEE! Tony is coming back! 
> 
> But dang Peter, those were some dark thoughts.....
> 
> Guess we'll find out in the next installment of this series!


End file.
